Beyond the Whiteboard Analyze: Light

Next up in my series on Beyond the Whiteboard‘s Fitness Level feature is the LIGHT category. Again, the site has been a huge tool in my CrossFit training since it was created by my little brother Jonathan Kinnick and his crew in 2009. It allows me to log and follow all of my results and numbers so I can really focus and dial in my programming. The Fitness Level is the next step in visualizing fitness and being able to clearly see weaknesses or strengths.

If you missed the first blog in the series, check it out HERE to get a better understanding of the feature and how simple it makes programming and training.

LIGHT

The light category factors in Metcon workouts that use some weighted element and are typically under 20 minutes. A lot of the most iconic and classic CrossFit workouts contribute to this and the category shows how well rounded you are in those benchmarks tests. Light workouts include many of the girl workouts: Fran, Helen, Grace, and Elizabeth along with other popular workouts in BTWB that have similar characteristics. I have always seen it as really important to test and retest the girl WODs because they are such excellent CrossFit programming and because they are simply amazing indicators of fitness. My abilities across all aspects of fitness have improved right alongside my times on benchmark workouts and that is definitely not a coincidence. The WODs are tried and true and because there are so many results for them in BTWB, your score for each inputs a very accurate data point into the Fitness Level. For example, Fran has over 60,000 posts on BTWB. That means that your score (down to the second) gives you a very clear picture of where you stack up in the CrossFit community for that workout. Many of the CrossFit Games Open workouts also factor into this category because they are similarly programmed, lighter weights mixed with bodyweight movements that deliver a serious dose of intensity.

Because the Fitness Level pulls in results from 2009 and on, my history here shows that I have always kept these kinds of workouts as a big part of my training and I have performed well on them. My current times and scores puts me at a 97 in the category based off workouts that I have done in the past 6 months. My numbers have stayed in the high 80s and into the 90s almost constantly in that time period. However, I have been doing CrossFit for close to 7 years so there is a little more to my growth here. Here are some of my oldest scores for a few LIGHT benchmarks along with my all time best performances:

Fran

Dec, 2008- 17:22 Rx’d / Oct, 2013- 2:17 Rx’d

Helen

Dec, 2008- 10:33 Rx’d / Jan 2011- 7:30 Rx’d

Grace

Sep, 2008- 3:41 Rx’d / Oct, 2013- 1:22 Rx’d

Diane

Jan, 2008- 7:51 (185# Deadlift) / May 2012, 3:14 Rx’d

I love looking back at these benchmarks and seeing how far I have come! Having started CrossFit completely out of shape and overweight, the PRs I have accumulated over the years represent a lot to me and I will continue to revisit the classics in my training because they are amazing tests and always challenging.

Do yourself a favor and start using Beyond the Whiteboard right away, it is so crucial to see how far we have come in CrossFit, having a record of those accomplishments and top performances means a lot. For me the LIGHT category definitely reflects that. Being able to see this in the Fitness Level takes it to new heights. Stay tuned for more looks into this feature and my numbers!